Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 3/Number 6/Minutes of Kirtland Safety Society Meeting

Minutes of a meeting of the members of the "Kirtland Safety Society," held on the 2d day of January, 1837.

At a special meeting of the Kirtland Safety Society, two thirds of the members being present, S. RIGDON was called to the Chair, and W. PARRISH chosen Secretary.

The house was called to order, and the object of the meeting explained by the chairman: which was,

1st. To annul the old constitution, which was adopted by the society, on the 2d day of November, 1836; which was, on motion, by the unanimous voice of the meeting, annulled.

2d. To adopt Articles of Agreement, by which the Kirtland Safety Society are to be governed.

After much discussion and investigation, the following Preamble and Articles of Agreement were adopted, by the unanimous voice of the meeting.

We, the undersigned subscribers, for the promotion of our temporal interests, and for the better management of our different occupations, which consist in agriculture, mechanical arts, and merchandising; do hereby form ourselves into a firm or company for the before mentioned objects, by the name of the "Kirtland Safety Society Banking Company," and for the proper management of said firm, we individually and jointly enter into, and adopt, the following Articles of Agreement.

Art. 1st. The capital stock of said society or firm shall not be less than four millions of dollars; to be divided into shares of fifty dollars each; and may be increased to any amount, at the discretion of the Directors.

Art. 2d. The management of said company shall be under the superintendence of thirty two Directors, to be chosen annually by, and from among the members of the same; each member being entitled to one vote for each share, which he, she, or they may hold in said company; and said votes may be given by proxy, or in PROPRIA PERSONA.

Art. 3d. It shall be the duty of said Directors, when chosen, to elect from their number, a President and Cashier. It shall be the further duty of said Directors to meet in the upper room of the office of said company, on the first Mondays of November and May of each year, at 9 o'clock, A. M. to inspect the books of said company and transact such other business as may be deemed necessary.

Art. 4th. It shall be the duty of said Directors to choose from among their number, seven men, who shall meet in the upper room of said office, on Tuesday of each week, at 4 o'clock, P. M. to inquire into and assist in all matters pertaining to said company.

Art. 5th. Each Director shall receive from the company one dollar per day for his services when called together at the annual and semi annual meetings. The President and Cashier, and the seven, the committee of the Directors, shall receive a compensation for their services as shall be agreed by the directors at their semi-annual meetings.

Art. 6th. The first election of Directors, as set forth in the second article, shall take place at the meeting of the members to adopt this agreement, who shall hold their office until the first Monday of November, 1837, unless removed by death or misdemeanor, and until others are duly elected. Every annual election of Directors shall take place on the first Monday of November, of each year. It shall be the duty of the President and Cashier of said company, to receive the votes of the members by ballot, and declare the election.

Art. 7th. The books of the company shall be always open for the inspection of the members.

Art. 8th. It shall be the duty of the Directors of the company, to declare a dividend once in six months; which dividend shall be apportioned among the members, according to the installments by them paid in.

Art. 9th. All persons subscribing stock in said firm, shall pay their first installment at the time of subscribing; and other installments from time to time, as shall be required by the Directors.

Art. 10th. The Directors shall give thirty days notice in some public paper, printed in this county, previous to an installment being paid in. All subscribers residing out of the State, shall be required to pay in half the amount of their subscriptions at the time of subscribing, and the remainder, or such part thereof, as shall be required at any time by the Directors, after thirty days notice.

Art. 11th. The Cashier shall be empowered to call special meetings of the Directors, whenever he shall deem it necessary; separate and aside from the annual and semi annual meetings.

Art. 12th. Two thirds of the Directors shall form a quorum to act at the semi-annual meetings, and any number of the seven, the committee of the Directors, with the President & Cashier, or either of them, may form a quorum to transact business at the weekly meetings; and in case none of the seven are present at the weekly meetings, the President and Cashier must transact the business.

Art. 13th. The Directors shall have power to enact such by laws as they may deem necessary, from time to time, providing they do not infringe upon these Articles of Agreement.

Art. 14th. All notes given by said Society, shall be signed by the President and Cashier thereof, and we the individual members of said firm, hereby hold ourselves bound for the redemption of all such notes.

Art 15th. The notes given for the benefit of said society, shall be given to the Cashier, in the following form:

"Ninety days after date, we jointly and severally promise to pay A. B. or order dollars and cents, value received." A record of which shall be made in the books at the time, of the amount, and by whom given, and when due-and deposited with the files and papers of said society.

Art. 16th. Any article in this agreement may be altered at any time, annulled, added unto or expunged, by the vote of two-thirds of the members of said society; except the fourteenth article, that shall remain unaltered during the existence of said company. For the true and faithful fulfilment [fulfillment] of the above covenant and agreement, we individually bind ourselves to each other under the penal sum of one hundred thousand dollars. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the day and date first written above.

Sidney Rigdon Leonard Rich N K Whitney Artemus Millet Reynolds Cahoon Peter Shirts Joseph Smith jr Wm D Pratt Warren Parrish Jerusha Smith Sylvester Smith Martha Knight Hyrum Smith Josiah Butterfield Edwin P Merriam John Smith Elijah Cheney Hiram Corey Eliphalet Boynton Jared Carter Vinson Knight C P Lott Solon Foster Elijah Able Daniel Bowen Nathan Haskins Loren Babbit Geo W Robinson Joel McWithy Noah Packard Zemira Draper Daniel Allen jr Wm Drapersen Edson Barney Wm Draper jr Erastus Babbit Asa Lyman Reuben McBride Laban Morill Russell Potter Bechias Dustin Harvey Stanley Jesse Turpin Uzziel Stevens Alexander Badlam John Johnson Wm Smith Ezekiel Rider Luke Johnson Elisha C Coltrin A Pettingall Luman Carter Isaac H Bishop Wm Woodstock Harrison Burgess Jonathan Hampton Joseph Smith sen Sterny Tripp Lucy Smith Amasa Bonney Jonas Putnam P P Pratt Edmund Bosley John Gaylord Hyrum Stratton Daniel S Jackson Samuel Parker Edwin D Webb David Whitmer Edward M Webb Roger Orton Wm F Cahoon Erastus Snow Horace Burgess Lyman Sherman Wm Miller Isaac Rogers Orson Pratt Salmon Gee Brigham Young Andrew Brim J B Smith Jonathan H Holmes S B Stoddard Wm C Rolfe Ebenezer Barr Warren Smith Lyman E Johnson Simeon Andrews Heber C Kimball Nath. Milliken Lorenzo Young John F Boynton Zebedee Coltrin Reuben Hedlock Gardner Snow J B Noble Amasa Lyman Smith Humphrey Nathan Tanner Francis G Bishop Jeremiah Willey Ephraim Badger Nathan Chency Ira Bond L H Franks George W Gee Lewis Eager George A Smith Silas Smith Mahew Millman Jesse Baker Chauncey G Webb Gideon H Carter Thos Butterfield David Clough Lebbeus T Coons Astin Butler Samuel Newcomb Benj Andrews Sabra Granger Wm Foster 1st Benj Winchester L M Davis Samuel Hale W Huntington jr Israel Barlow Zima Huntington Nathaniel Carr Lorenzo Wells Reuben Field James M Carrel Dorcas Brooks Truman O Angell Phebe Rigdon Graham Coltrin

A E Robinson Thomas Carrico Elijah B Gaylord Levi Gifford Samuel H Smith Joel H Johnson Amos R Orton Heman T Hyde Willford Woodruff Haratio N Parks Ira Ames Amos B Fuller Lorenzo Booth Hugh Coltrin Henry D Garret George Strope Benj S Wilber John P Greene Benjamin Kempton Samuel Phelps Hiram Clark Canfield & Spencer Hiram B Booth M C Davis Isaac Hubbard J Coodson Wesley Knight H A Sharp Benj H Stall John Coltrin Clark L Whitney Hezekiah Fisk Russell Pemberton Lucy Ives J D Parker Liester Gaylord Martin H Peck Thomas Gates jr Hiram Dayton Isaac Cleaveland Oliver Olney Wm Gould William Aldrich Wm Barker Joseph Young Andrew L Allen John B Carpenter John W Duty David Dort S Hanchett Temperance Mack and others.